Why is Good Friday called Good Friday? Easter date meaning explained
GOOD Friday is an important date in the religious calendar and is one that has been been commemorated for centuries.
Here we take a look at the story behind the religious holiday and how Good Friday is observed.
What is Good Friday?
According to Christianity, Good Friday is the day for Christians to commemorate Jesus’s crucifixion.
It is when Jesus died to resurrect three days later, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday.
Christians believe Christ came to earth in order to sacrifice Himself so sinners would be redeemed.
In the UK, Good Friday is observed as a bank holiday – as is Easter Monday.
The Easter Bank holiday is a welcome break for many each year, with a four day holiday providing plenty of time to enjoy Easter treats and typically, spend time with family and friends.
In 2023, Good Friday falls on Friday, April 7.
Why is Good Friday called Good Friday?
Despite it’s name, Good Friday does not refer to a happy time – as it is the day that Jesus was crucified by the Romans – with Easter Sunday bringing his resurrection or rebirth.
Instead, “Good” comes from the former meaning of the word – “Holy” or “pious”.
Another reference around the name relates to the Bible which has been called “the good book”.
But the Oxford English Dictionary’s Fiona MacPherson said that the term “good” used here “designates a day on (or sometimes a season in) which religious observance is held”.
The OED states that “good” in this context refers to “a day or season observed as holy by the church”, this explains we say “good tide” at Christmas or on Shrove Tuesday.
The earliest known use of “guode friday” is found in The South English Legendary, a text from around 1290, according to the dictionary.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, first published in 1907, states that the origins of the term are not clear.
It says some sources see its origins in the term “God’s Friday” or Gottes Freitag, while others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag.
It notes that the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons and is referred to as such in modern Danish.
What happens on Good Friday?
Many Good Friday traditions are still are practiced today.
Several Christian denominations including Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Orthodox mark the day with church services which are sometimes solemn, as they reflect on the suffering Christ went through in order to save mankind, according to the Bible.
Some also observe the day with fasting or abstaining from meat.